


when broken glass litters the floor.

by bittertofu



Series: thirty-five ways he said 'i love you.' [17]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 02:10:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11071866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittertofu/pseuds/bittertofu
Summary: The best laid plans...





	when broken glass litters the floor.

**Author's Note:**

> a series of drabbles.
> 
> NOTE: from here on out, the story deviates drastically from canon.

His cell phone blew up with calls from the only man in the world he'd let toy with him so completely. The name flashed on his screen for what felt like the millionth time that day.

_Masayoshi Shido._

Akechi had been avoiding answering his phone, mainly because he knew what Shido would ask, and because he didn't feel wholly prepared to answer. Still, there was only so long he could avoid the inevitable. And so, finally, he picked up.

“Hello?”

“What is wrong with you? I've been trying to reach you since early this morning.”

“Sorry,” Akechi said sweetly, biting back the bitterness he felt rising up from deep within. “I've been preoccupied. It's a full-time job, keeping track of the Phantom Thieves.”

“As long as you know what needs to be done.”

“Don't worry. Things are coming together quite nicely. They don't suspect a thing. Soon, their esteemed leader will be in our hands.”

“Are the preparations complete?"

“Almost. There is one final detail to be taken care of, but you leave that to me. It'll all be over soon enough.”

Soon enough. Akechi swallowed, hard. He was glad he was so good at acting. Otherwise, the tremor in his hands would have translated into a tremor in his voice. As it was, he spoke evenly and with a practiced degree of confidence. Shido seemed to buy it.

“I'm expecting good results,” Shido said. “Don't disappoint me.”

There was a warning in that statement. Failure was not an option. Akechi knew just what Shido could do to those who disappointed him. Even without Akechi's help, he was a powerful man.

Akechi sighed in mock exasperation. “Have I ever disappointed you before?”

“Hmph.”

And with that, the line went dead.

It was a pointless conversation, really. A risky one, as well. Akechi knew it was only Shido's need to control everything and everyone that had him check up on Akechi at all. He understood, because he had that need for control, too.

“It'll all be over soon,” he muttered to himself, slipping his phone into his pocket.

Soon...

He was on his way out of the police station when Sae Niijima confronted him.

“You had something you wanted to talk to me about?” she asked. “I assume it has to do with this calling card."

She flashed the calling card in her hand, and the scowl on her face could have soured milk.

“About that,” Akechi began, shifting his briefcase from his left hand to his right. “There's something I need you to inform the police.”

“I'm listening.”

He spoke, then, told her everything, the words feeling dead in his mouth. He wanted to laugh just thinking about it all, how he was so close to achieving his goal. Just one final raid with the Phantom Thieves was all that was left to him. After that...Well, after that, the pieces would fall how they would. He couldn't worry about that now. He'd come too far. It was too late to turn back, even assuming he wanted to.

Sae watched him as he relayed his tale, her eyes going wide, the calling card slowly getting crushed in her hand. Finally, after what felt like hours (it really couldn't have been more than ten minutes), his story came to an end. Sae shook her head, and he could tell she didn't really believe him.

“But that's...if what you're saying is true...the evidence we'd need...How do we even catch him?”

“You leave that to me,” Akechi replied, smiling sweetly. “I've got everything prepared. You just need to tell the police what I've told you, and have them be in exactly the location I specify when the time comes.”

Sae frowned at him, crossing her arms. “You're playing a dangerous game, Akechi. I know you're not like other people, but you're still just a kid. Are you sure you'll be safe?”

“Safe as can be,” he assured her.

In a way, that was the truth. Nobody suspected a thing, after all. There was no way they could. He'd played all his cards right, and it was time to show the winning hand. He wouldn't apologize for his actions, no matter what. They'd all led him up to this point, and he would see this thing through to the bitter end.

Akechi held out his briefcase, which Sae took with a hesitant nod.

“Alright,” she said. “Then, I'll leave it to you.”

“Thank you, Ms. Niijima. I'll be counting on you.”

With that, they parted ways, and Akechi went home to prepare for the night ahead.

 

* * *

 

There was a moment, a split second, when Akechi thought Akira wouldn't make it out. A moment wherein he thought that all his careful planning, all his preparation, had been for nothing. It would all be meaningless if Akira died now.

But of course, he shouldn't have worried so much. Akira ran along the casino railing, did a marvelous flip out of the stained-glass window, and Akechi smiled at the thousands of shards of glittering glass that went crashing to the ground.

“Such a show off,” Ann remarked, and Akechi laughed lightly beside her.

It really was just like Akira to put on a show. They were close now. So, so close.

“Alright,” said Futaba, cracking her knuckles. “Now—”

She paused, and everyone turned to look at her.

“Is...is everything alright?” Makoto asked.

“H-huh? Oh, yeah. Totally fine. He made it.”

Makoto frowned. Akechi wondered why she seemed so upset at something that should have been good news.

“He...” Makoto stumbled for words. “He made it?”

“Yeah,” said Futaba. “He's waiting for us on the outside.”

Ann, looking shocked, cast her gaze between Makoto and Akechi before stammering, “Th-that's great! I knew he could do it!”

“Yeah,” said Ryuji, rubbing the back of his neck, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Something like that would be easy for him, no problem.”

“We should probably join him, then,” Yusuke remarked, and Haru hummed her agreement.

“Sounds like a good idea,” said Akechi.

They all cast him a sidelong glance, as if they couldn't bring themselves to look him full in the face. It bothered him, though he tried not to let it. Anxiety wasn't something he could afford now, not when everything was in motion. It's not like they could have known what he was planning. There was no way. He'd done everything he could to make sure of that.

“Alright, Thieves,” Morgana said. “Let's roll out!”

When they emerged back in the real world, Akira stood alone in the empty dark, holding a silver suitcase in his hand. He stared, dazed, up at the Justice Building before him. Akechi bristled. Everyone was acting strangely. Far too strangely for his liking.

“What's this?” he asked, using as merry a tone as he could muster in his discomfort. “We achieved a great victory here. There's no need to look so glum.”

Akira turned to look at him, as if just noticing that the rest of them had arrived. In his school uniform, he seemed to Akechi to be far too small and far too insignificant, wholly unlike the suave, larger-than-life Joker. It bothered him, that smallness, but he forced it down into the depths of his subconscious. There were other things to worry about at this point—far greater, far more important things.

He was about to suggest he take his leave when Akira dropped the suitcase, marched straight up to him, and put rough hands on his shoulders.

“What did you do?” he demanded, growled, almost. “What did you _do_?”

Akechi blinked at him, shocked.

“What did I...?”

“Where are they?”

Akira whipped around and around, searching for Akechi had no idea what.

“They...?”

“The police,” Akira hissed, grabbing Akechi by the wrist and squeezing, hard.

Akechi whipped his hand away and glared at Akira with more rage than he'd ever felt before. Heart pounding, eyes swimming. Body trembling, trembling. Panic seized him.

He'd known. They'd all known, all along. Akechi near couldn't breathe through the tightness in his throat.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Akechi sneered. “My only goal here tonight was to take Sae's treasure. Are you saying...you thought there was something else?” Akechi flashed a dark grin.

The rapid rise and fall of Akira's chest, the clenching and unclenching of his fists, made Akechi sick with satisfaction. Wasn't this what he'd wanted all along? To see Akira unhinged, staring helplessly into the face of his defeat? And Akechi had defeated him, in the best possible way. He had truly, to the fullest, surpassed Akira's expectations.

Akira growled again, closed the space Akechi had put between them (one step, two), grabbed Akechi's face in his hands and kissed him so hard, Akechi nearly tumbled over backwards. He had to cling to the front of Akira's shirt to keep himself upright. Someone gasped, or maybe multiple someones, but he didn't care. Akira's mouth on his was hot, hungry, biting. Akechi bit back, hard enough, maybe, to draw blood. The taste of copper tickled his tongue.

They pulled apart, both of them disheveled, foreheads pressed together.

“What,” Akira asked again, pleading this time, “did you do?”

Akechi laughed, a helpless, breathless babble, as he ran his hands through Akira's hair and kissed him, kissed him, kissed him, again and again and again.

“Oh, Kurusu. If I told you, what would be the fun in that?”

Akira looked so pained, so twisted up inside, that Akechi wanted nothing more than to take the hurting out of him and swallow it whole.

“I hate you, you know,” Akechi whispered.

“I know,” said Akira.

“I meant it, when I said I dreamt I killed you. Your body was there in front of me, and I was laughing—”

“I know. I know.”

“—and I thought, he's gotten what he deserves. Trash like you...”

“I love you.”

“...I know.”

Makoto cleared her throat, and finally, finally, Akira and Akechi released each other. The others stood at a distance, looking varying degrees of uncomfortable.

“We should get out of here,” Makoto pointed out, “before someone sees us. A group of kids hanging outside the Justice Building after dark is sure to draw some attention.”

“You're right, of course,” Akechi conceded, smiling at her. “Then, I'll be going. I have something to take care of.”

“Uh-uh,” said Ryuji, stepping forward. “You're gonna tell us exactly what you're up to. We know you were planning to betray us. Just 'cuz it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean we gotta trust you suddenly.”

And there it was. The confrontation Akechi worked so hard to avoid. It was a little premature for Ryuji to bring it up now, considering they thought Akechi was planning to turn them in. For all they knew, he still could have been planning to hand them over to the police the moment they turned their backs. He supposed he'd wrecked whatever they were planning for now, though. Still, he felt a little frustrated at Ryuji's stupidity.

“I'm going,” he began patiently, as if talking to a child, “to make sure the identity of the Phantom Thieves is never discovered. I'm still demanding you disband, of course. I could easily turn you in, if I have to. But it's as I said before. I am on your side.”

Ryuji took another step forward. Makoto put out her arm to stop him.

“Go, then,” she said. “Just know that we'll be keeping an eye on you. If anything happens to Joker...”

Akechi laughed, waved his hand dismissively.

“I'm sure you'll be keeping two eyes on me,” he said. “And don't worry. Nothing will happen to him. I'll make sure of that.”

Before Akechi could walk off, Akira grabbed his wrist a second time. Said without looking at him, “Don't do anything stupid.”

“And just who,” Akechi said lowly, so that only Akira could hear, “do you think I am?”

Akira nodded once. Gave Akechi's wrist a squeeze before letting him go.

He moved quickly, quietly, through the cold, empty streets. Tired as he was, he didn't have much time to act. It was tonight, or it was never. He came to a stop outside of the Diet Building and stared a moment, thinking how ridiculous it was that one man, that his _father_ , saw it as the seat of such unlimited power. In truth, there was nothing so glamorous about it. Nothing noble. Certainly nothing to shake the world on its axis.

Akechi took a deep breath and stepped into the Metaverse. It would be easy for him to waltz right up to Shido's Shadow, since he wasn't seen as much of a threat. Still, he would have to move quickly and carefully if he was to succeed.

He felt deep inside of him, searching his core for his persona, Loki. A thrum of power resonated throughout his body. He grinned a wicked grin.

Tonight, he would make Masayoshi Shido go berserk. He would do this if it was the last thing he ever did.

 


End file.
